The latest census results were released this morning and they showed that in Metro Vancouver, the largest population growth was found in Surrey and Port Moody. From the Surrey Leader: “Surrey’s population grew 18.6 per cent to 468,251, an increase of more than 73,000 since the previous count in 2006. The City of Vancouver gained about 25,000 residents, or 4.4 per cent over the five-year period, to 603,502. Port Moody climbed 19.9 per cent to 32,975.” It would seem Surrey is living up to its slogan, The Future Lives Here.
There’s one blog I turn to when it comes to finding out about Surrey’s urban planning, development, and transit strategies. Paul Hillsdon’s Civic Surrey. I first found Paul’s personal blog in November of 2007 and in February of 2008, he launched Civic Surrey.
I wrote this about the promising 18 year-old at the time: “Our local green-powered, transit, political, and Metro Vancouver whiz kid Paul Hillsdon has just launched a new fully Surrey-centric website. Paul’s entries are entertaining, factual, occasionally hard-hitting, and valid in their opinions as a true Surreyite. I’m always pleased to promote anything form my hometown and it’s great to see such a nicely executed source for Surrey talk and content now online.”
Paul has also independently run for City Council and local office a few times since. As the blog’s fourth anniversary rolls by, I encourage you to explore its archives in order to learn more about this ever-changing urban – and still agricultural – centre. Here’s a small sampling of the topics he and contributing author Nathan Pachal have covered:
Photo credit: rbrtwhite on Flickr – Submitted to the Miss604 Flickr Pool.
For a unique photo project, check out Robert White’s Nicholson Road column on Vancouver is Awesome. He provides a small blurb an a photo about a community, park, or area in the region outside of downtown Vancouver.
As quickly as it returned, my BC Travel Tuesday series is wrapping up for another season. This is the fourth installment for our winter Whistler getaways and I’d like to thank everyone for their participation so far.
backyardbc is a new travel website designed specifically for residents of British Columbia. Essentially a “be a tourist in your own backyard” program, participating hotels & resorts offer residents of BC exclusive rates and specials, designed to motivate BCers to travel more within the Province. Each offer has its own unique reservation code, and all bookings are done directly with our hotel and resort partners. Visit backyardbc online, on Twitter, or Facebook and see more of BC!
The winner of last week’s getaway to Crystal Lodge is Emily! This week we have another generous prize offered up by a beautiful property to conclude the series.
Photo courtesy of Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa
Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa Website, Twitter, Facebook, backyardbc listing Location: 4050 Whistler Way, Whistler, BC About: “The Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa is a Four Diamond Resort, and rated in the Top 10 Canadian Resorts by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine for the last three years in a row. We are ideally situated in the heart of Whistler Village at the base of Whistler Mountain. The resort features beautifully appointed spacious guest rooms, an outdoor pool area, Taman Sari Spa, fitness facility, outdoor fire pit, and the Cinnamon Bear Restaurant and Bar. The Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa connects directly into the village and is steps from all of the most popular restaurants and shops.”
Prize: 2 nights accommodation Value: $800
To enter to win, leave a comment on this post (1 entry) and/or post the following on Twitter (1 entry):
I entered this week’s @backyardbc @miss604 #bctraveltuesday contest http://ow.ly/8W1HJ #tt
Gift certificates for hotel and resort stays will be sent directly to each weekly winner so they can arrange their visit personally with the property. Based on availability. Blackout dates February 18th to 25th. Not redeemable on Saturday nights. Open to residents of BC only. Must be 19 years of age or older to enter and win. This week’s winner will be announced next Tuesday at 2:00pm.
Update The winner is Glen!
View all posts in the series by following or subscribing to my BCTravelTuesday tag. Open to residents of BC.
Drinking Made Easy, the HDNET series that travels around the United States to explore local brews, mixology, and drinking culture, recently found its way North of the 49th for a quick stop in Vancouver.
Steve McKenna and Zane Lamprey. Photo courtesy HDNET.
In each episode, host Zane Lamprey steps behind the bar in various establishments to learn how local drinks are made while co-host Steve McKenna, who has been given the title of “Stunt Drinker”, tries out the concoctions. The two also go head to head during their signature Six Six-Pack Challenges that could be anything from bocce or fencing to racing up the Space Needle in Seattle.
I can’t give away too much about the Vancouver episode but there are shout outs to several BC breweries and wineries, from Vancouver Island to the Okanagan. I had the chance to chat with Steve about the Vancouver episode, the show’s first Canadian feature to air.
“Vancouver was amazing it was one of my favourite stops of Season 2,” Steve told me over the phone from his home base in Richmond, Virginia. His previous trips north of the border were to Montreal as a kid since his family lived just a few hours away. “I had heard a lot about [Vancouver] and I was really excited to go. It definitely did not disappoint.”
Steve first started on Drinking Made Easy thanks to host, and his good friend, Zane Lamprey. “Zane brought me into his first show, Three Sheets, by telling crazy drinking stories about his buddy Steve McKenna.” So when Drinking Made Easy started up, Steve was added. “He brought me along as his sidekick. I provide a little bit of comic relief.”
The Vancouver episode is pretty much the “Gastown” episode but Salt, The Diamond, Rogue, the Alibi Room and more represented our city and region very well. Steve specifically mentioned his stop at the Alibi Room and an impressively rare sample from Storm Brewing that you’ll see him try. Discovering that Vancouver, and BC, had a strong (and growing) local beer scene was definitely a nice surprise for him. “It was definitely amazing and a real treat – they had a lot of good beer.”
I asked Chris Bjerrisgaard, Marketing Director of Vancouver Craft Beer Week about the impact the show could have. “I think a show like Drinking Made Easy doing an episode in Vancouver is extremely important to our local beverage industry, every much as important as Diners Drive-Ins and Dives / Eat Street was to the local food culture. These shows are about putting Vancouver on the map and helping showcase our hospitality industry. People need to know that when they come to town they can find quality cocktails, beers, and wines just as easily as they can find beautiful scenery and endless outdoor activity.”
On the show Steve is known for his quick chugs of even the finest cocktails but he said they do keep the drinking to when the cameras are rolling. He laughed and told me one his famous quotes is: “I only drink when I’m working”.
When he’s not doing Drinking Made Easy, you can find him behind the bar of The Blue Goat. I had to ask him about his own prescription for a hangover and he said he loves a good Bloody Mary. His specialty is a Bloody Mary that’s ginger-infused with Square One cucumber vodka. Either that or a mimosa which he makes with strawberry muddled basil. “It can turn your frown upside down pretty quick.”
John and I enjoy the show because we actually learn a lot about the destinations through their individual pub culture which is always rich with history — as you’ll also see in the Vancouver episode. “It’s a lot of fun to just see every city, see the bars, hang out with the locals, and hear about each place,” Steve said.
If there’s one place he could visit with the show in the future, Steve told me it would be Alaska. Should Drinking Made Easy make it up to the Yukon, I recommended he become a member of the Sour Toe Cocktail Club in Dawson City. It isn’t for the faint of heart — but might make for some great television.
You can catch the Vancouver episode on HDNET (Shaw digital channel 235) next Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 5:00pm and 8:00pm Pacific. They usually post full show notes online once the episode has aired including links to the liquors or beers that were mentioned, the establishments visited, drink recipes, and fun facts about the city. Tomorrow night’s episode (February 8, 2012) will feature Seattle.
Update The teaser/trailer for the Vancouver episode is up now:
With another year until we get a statutory holiday in BC, February could be looking pretty gloomy at this point. However, with events to celebrate the two year Vancouver 2010 Olympic anniversary, a city-wide festival, a film festival, a comedy fetival, and more, the February 2012 calendar is looking pretty bright.
Photo credit: couloir on Flickr – Submitted to the Miss604 Flickr Pool.
Tourism Surrey recently launched a campaign called 45 in 45 that lists off 45 activities, sights, and events that you can enjoy within 45 kilometers or 45 minutes of the City of Surrey. Through blog posts and social media outreach, they’re promoting BC’s second most populous city as a destination and affordable alternative.
“Surrey is a fairly central location when you do a 360 degree look around,” says Tourism Surrey’s Jane Stark. “We’ve got the Fraser Valley, White Rock, the USA border, Vancouver, and more.” The focus of the campaign is to promote the city’s hotel offerings, making it the starting point for your family visit, vacation, business trip, or getaway.
Fusion Festival – Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr
From parks and recreation, to Surrey Eagles hockey, annual festivals, Crescent Beach, shopping, and award-winning golf courses, Stark also told me they want the idea of “Surrey is closer than you think” to stick in people’s minds.
The site is just getting started but they’re already running a contest with Central City Brewing. Until February 15, 2012 you can post a photo of a beer you’re drinking on Twitter, including @45in45 and @centralcitybrew, for your chance to win a $50 gift card to BC’s Best Brew Pub (according to the 2012 CAMRA Vancouver Beer Awards).
Watch for more promotions over the next few weeks including a few guest posts from yours truly as I support my hometown. Follow 45 in 45 on Twitter or Facebook for more information.
